Comic-Con: Dark Horse Explores the New Tomb Raider

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Gail Simone bridges the gap between Tomb Raider and its upcoming sequel.

By Jesse Schedeen

Lara Croft returned to the forefront of the gaming industry earlier this year with the release of Square-Enix's Tomb Raider reboot. The game offered a new take on Lara's formative years, presenting a more realistic and inexperienced take on the gaming icon. The only question now is how long gamers have to wait for a sequel.

While SDCC held no direct news on that front, at least fans will soon have another outlet to turn to for adventures set within this rebooted universe. Dark Horse will be publishing an ongoing Tomb Raider series starting next year. The big news is the writer they've chosen to flesh out Ms. Croft - Gail Simone. Simone is famous for her critically acclaimed runs on Wonder Woman and Birds of Prey and her current Batgirl series. She also recently took charge of another popular female adventurer with Dynamite's relaunched Red Sonja comic.

The new series, simply titled Tomb Raider, begins a few weeks after the conclusion of the game and is designed to lead directly into the eventual sequel (which at least reiterates the idea that there will be a sequel). The series joins other current video game tie-ins at Dark Horse like the various Mass Effect mini-series and The Last of Us: American Dreams.

Kotaku interviewed Simone about the new gig, where she revealed that she's looking to explore Lara's globetrotting adventures in a way the first game didn't allow. "I chose to do this series solely because I loved the game so much, so we’re definitely keeping the tone of the game. I’ve always loved the classic, cool Lara Croft, but this feels like her origin story, like we’re seeing her before she becomes the icon, and it’s very compelling to me." She continued, "The storytelling in the game hooked me instantly. The biggest difference is, the game told a claustrophobic story in an isolated setting. We are going globetrotting."

As for her take on Lara's personality, Simone said, "The way I see Lara now is, she’s not after treasure. She’s not really after thrills. She’s a questioner, she’s an explorer. She wants answers. The thing is, she’s completely unstoppable. That’s what I love. Everyone underestimates her, and that is a terrible mistake to make."

No artist has been announced yet, but Tomb Raider #1 is scheduled for release on February 26, 2014.